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 The Muslim Right Concern [MURIC] has expressed support for the introduction of Sharia in South-West.  The Islamic group told the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria [PFN] and other Christianity adherents to mind their business.  The comment followed a warning by the PFN against any move to introduce Sharia law in Yoruba States through the ongoing constitutional review by the Senate.  MURIC Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, accused Christians of always being the first to fire shots and heat up the polity.  He said Christians know very well that Shariah is the Allah-given fundamental human right of Muslims but are determined to deprive them using unorthodox methods.  “PFN and other Christian groups are fully aware that Shariah was in the South West decades before the arrival of Christianity in 1842. Shariah was practiced in Ede under Oba Abibu Olagunju [Habeeb, a Muslim name] and the Ede Shariah Court operated up till 1913 at Agbeni area of the town. It was ...

 A Premier League side will win the 2020/2021 Champions League.  The real question then becomes will it be Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea or Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City? For Tuchel, he failed at this very point last year. The German led Paris Saint-Germain to the final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich. The Ligue 1 side dominated Bayern Munich, but Hansi Flick’s men proved to be super efficient in the game.  This is Tuchel’s quick chance at redemption. He replaced Frank Lampard in January and has taken a short time to instill his methods into the Blues’ squad.  If he defeats City for the third time this season, Tuchel will become the third successive German coach to win the Champions League, after Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and Flick.  On the other side, there is Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard that's a slave to tactics and systems.  His pride is at stake. A lot of critics have insisted that Guardiola cannot win Europe's top club competition without Lionel Messi...

 The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu has said the lower chamber of the National Assembly is set to legalize the use of Indian Hemp in Nigeria.  He disclosed this during a press conference on the benefits and opportunities of Cannabis, in Akure, Ondo State.  Kalu said the decision would be made in the interest of the country's economic growth.  Kalu narrated that countries such as South Africa and others are currently benefiting a high revenue from cannabis which they export to other countries.  “It is worrisome that Nigeria has not made use of the financial advantage that her oil reserves can provide to generate collective investment and revenue sources.  “The coronavirus pandemic exposed our weaknesses when global oil prices fell below $0 a barrel on 20 April 2020.  “Agriculture has always been a major strength of Nigeria and cannabis provides interesting prospects.  “The crop, once harvested, has a high yield o...

 A former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has narrated why Nigerians must not allow thoughts of division to continue.  Alhaji Atiku,on Sunday, said division of Nigeria will lead to calamity which is not advisable.  Atiku said: “We are far too interconnected to be disconnected. Where would my children, who have a parent from each leg of Nigeria go? Where would your children, who have sunk roots far from their ancestral heritage go?”  The former presidential candidate on his Twitter page noted that it was advisable for  Nigeria to grow in unity.  His tweets read, “Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that “Man’s mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.  “Let me paraphrase him and say, Nigerian unity, stretched to a new frontier, should never go back to its original dimension.  “We must grow in unity. We must glow in community. We must blow away disunity. We have no choice, considering the alternative, wh...

 The Southern Senators’ Forum has commended steps taken by state governors from the region to stem the rise in insecurity.  The 15 members in attendance also called for restructuring of the country leading to the evolution of state police.  The governors also called for enforcement of the ban on open grazing in the south (including cattle movement to the south by foot).  Reacting, the Senators in a statement jointly signed by their Chairman, Secretary-General and Publicity Secretary, Senators Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), Matthew Uroghide (PDP-Edo) and Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu) lauded the governors for outrightly taking a firm position on burning national issues, including banning the open grazing of cattle.  The Senators said that such a unanimous policy would check those hiding under cattle grazing to unleash terror of kidnapping and killing on the residents of the region.  The senators lamented how farmers in the region were losing millions of Naira to ...

 The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has joined Nigerians in the call for President Muhammadu Buhari’s impeachment following his inability to solve Nigeria's insecurity problem.  Speaking during an interview on AITs Monday morning, the NEF spokesman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the nation cannot wait two more years for Buhari to address the issues of insecurity.  He said those who have the constitutional responsibility to protect Nigeria must realise that the country is in a dire state and do something other than making promises.  He said the second option is for citizens to get together and decide to do something.  “The third option is that those leaders who are failing will recognize the fact that they are the problem and resign because they clearly have nothing to offer in terms of leadership.  “As our democratic system provides, those with the responsibility to get them off should impeach those who are failing. If the president can't deliver, he should be impe...

 The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has hinted that Nigeria will break up.  Primate Ayodele noted that Nigeria's break up would not be though Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, or Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.  While speaking with newsmen, the cleric said some powerful forces like the spirit of Nigeria's nationalist, Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa would lead to Nigeria's peaceful break-up.  He warned that if Nigerians fail to appease Tafa-Balewa’s spirit and these other powerful forces, the country will break up peacefully.  Primate Ayodele, however, urged the government not to ignore the cries of IPOB and those agitating for the Oduduwa Republic because that would also lead to the country's disintegration.  He said: “The spirit of Igbo is no more in Nigeria, and since their spirit is no more in Nigeria, the country will break peacefully. It's not this IPOB, Oduduwa, that will brea...

 The Nigerian military and the Police, Thursday night, eliminated a number of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) fighters, a militia formed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu. The gunmen were traveling to Orlu town in a convey of vehicles, including the ones they hijacked from residents.  Their mission was allegedly to attack some police stations.  It was gathered that the IPOB secessionists sent a notice to their members and the ESN to prepare for an assault on security facilities.  A video showed how the gunmen opened fire at a location, an individual behind the camera was heard complaining about the attack on innocent citizens.  Security forces got wind of the situation and chased the motorcade.  Part of the contingent had laid an ambush for the hoodlums ahead.  On sighting the IPOB members, policemen and soldiers reportedly opened fire, leaving the gunmen little time to return fire.  According to Daily Post, the pictu...

 Yemi Osinbajo has commiserated with Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, over the death of his son, Dare.  Osinbajo alongside Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment and the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun commiserated with Adeboye’s during a visit to his residence.  In a tweet, the Vice President prayed God to grant Adeboye the fortitude to bear the loss.  Osinbajo said, “VP Osinbajo visits Daddy G.O, Pastor Adeboye and Mummy G.O this morning commiserating on the sad loss of our beloved Pastor Dare.  “He was accompanied by Gov. Abiodun and Minister Keyamo. May PST Dare’s memory be blessed and the LORD grants fortitude to Daddy G.O, Mummy, the family and all.”  Dare died on Wednesday in Eket, Akwa Ibom State in his sleep.  The 42-year-old man of God was popularly referred to as Pastor D. 

 President Muhammadu Buhari government is set to slash the salaries of civil servants in the country.  The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed said that President Buhari had directed the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to reduce the salaries of workers and employees of several agencies to save costs.  According to her, this was to help the government reduce the high cost of governance.  Ahmed said this on Tuesday when she spoke at a policy dialogue on corruption and cost of governance in Nigeria organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in Abuja.  The Minister, therefore, called on the federal government agencies to work towards cutting down cost, adding that the administration plans to remove certain items from the budget to reduce the cost of governance.  She said, “We still see government expenditure increase to a terrain twice higher than our revenue.  “The nation’s budgets are filled ...

 President Muhammadu Buhari-led government says kidnapping and banditry are not federal offences in Nigeria.  Addressing the media on Tuesday, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed made the comment in response to the statement on insecurity by the people’s Democratic Party (PDP).  “It is shocking that a party that ruled this nation for all of 16 years does not know that kidnapping and banditry are not federal offences”, he added.  The minister told the party to call out states, including those being controlled by it, to ensure a rigorous prosecution of arrested kidnappers and bandits.  Mohammed said the PDP did not respect its own words, as it played cheap politics while playing the ostrich.  He noted that the opposition made wild accusations against the President and his government.  “For examples, the PDP said the government has refused to engage, and that we were running a ‘government of exclusion’, and not engaging stakeholders.”  Mohammed insist...

Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has called on Governor Nasir El - Rufai’s to pay the ransom then go after abductors.  Gumi speaking on Kaduna Governor's insistence not to negotiate said no money is too big to save the lives of students.  He urged Governor Nasir El - Rufai’s to pay the ransom then go after the abductors as well as retrieve the ransom after the students are saved.  Sheikh Gumi during an interview with AIT on Tuesday said, ”Five souls were killed. Why? What amount of money is too big for us to save the lives of those five students, what amount of money?  “To say you will not negotiate with them and also not take action against them, I cannot understand that,” Gumi reacted.